Thursday, August 3, 2017

Cryptozoology

Cryptozoology

The word cryptozoology means “the study of hidden animals.” There are many out there who believe in this branch, while science has yet to officially acknowledge it. Cryptozoology has earned a reputation with the public as being false and kooky. Although progress moves slowing for cryptozoology, those who are interested, are hooked. They are fascinated with the idea of mystery creatures, which are known as cryptids. Popular cryptids, that you have probably heard of are Bigfoot, Chupacabra, Loch Ness Monster, Yeti, and Mermaids.

There’s a show on Animal Planet, called “Finding Bigfoot,” in which four members of the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization set out on a mission to find this creature. They have covered territory in thirty-eight states and eight countries, in hope to locate sasquatches. They often review and examine videos and photos, talk to witnesses, and use new technology to uncover evidence.

Personally, I do not believe in these creatures, but I find the idea of them fascinating.

1 comment:

I personally do not believe in these mystery creatures either. I honestly think that most of these creatures are made up myths that people like to tell at campfires or to scare kids on Halloween. Most of the shows that I have seen on TV seem to be fake. Just like the ghost hunting shows that claim to have been touched by something while on camera or claim that they heard something when you cannot hear anything on the camera even with the high tech equipment they have. I feel like if they were to make a convincing argument that this field of study is a true scientific field they would have at least found something new about one of the previously mentioned creatures.

Pseudoscience and the Paranormal

The popular media and self-help industry is rife with extraordinary claims. Alien experimentation, psychic detectives, mediums, ESP, extreme therapies and miracle products are all examples of how pseudoscience and the paranormal have become prevalent, popular and even an extremely lucrative enterprise. The majority of these examples defy the basic laws of science, logic and common sense yet they appeal to a large number of people. Here we will use science, specifically a psychological perspective to explore these popular theories and claims, and learn to think critically in order to be able to constructively evaluate them.